INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS

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(No Transcript)
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INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS

• CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE UNFCCC NEGOTIATIONS
  relevance to renewables

Renewable Energy Summit 19-20 March 2009 S K
Mgquba, Senior Negotiators
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• Presentation structure
• Background on the Framework Convention on Climate
  Change
• 1.1 The UNFCCC obligations
• 1.2 Institutional arrangements
• 1.3 Kyoto Protocol targets
• 1.4 Negotiation groups within the G77 and China
• 1.5 The main achievements in the negotiated Bali
  Action Plan
• 1.6 Conclusions

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• 1. Background on the UNFCCC
• During the 1980s, scientists warned that changes
  were occurring in global climate patterns owing
  largely to changes in the composition of gases
  that constitute the atmosphere
• In 1994, the Vice President of the United
  States, AL Gore, stated that climate change is
  the most serious problem our civilization faces
• In May 1992 the UNFCCC was adopted in Rio
  Convention and it entered into force in 1994.
• Objective of the UNFCCC is (Article 2 of the
  Conv),
• stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations
• in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
• dangerous anthropogenic interference with the
  climate
• system. Such a level should be achieved within a
  time
• frame that allows ecosystems to adapt naturally
  to
• climate change, to ensure that food production is
  not
• threatened and to enable economic development to
• proceed in a sustainable manner.

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• 1.1 UNFCCC obligations
• The actions to achieve the implementation of the
  UNFCCCs
• objectives are underpinned by five principles,
  namely,
• intergenerational equity and common but
  differentiated
• responsibility recognising the specific needs
  of developing
• countries, the precautionary principle,
  sustainable
• development, global co-operation and an open
  international
• economic system
• According to the UNFCCC, all parties must comply
  with the
• general commitment which includes
• Plans to mitigate climate change
• Promotion of sustainable development
• Measuring and reporting on anthropogenic
  emissions
• Advancement of research, education, training and
  climate
• change awareness
• Incorporation of climate change policies in
  economic, social
• and environmental policies.

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• UNFCCC obligations continue
• Although Annex 1 Parties are required to comply
  with the general requirements of the convention,
  they also have additional obligations and these
  are
• To assist the non-annex 1 Parties that are
  vulnerable to climate change
• Finance the cost that non-Annex 1 Parties incur
  to meet their general obligations
• Finance and transfer technology to developing
  countries who derive a large proportion of their
  wealth from energy related activities (Article
  4, Para 89 of the Convention).

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• 1.2 Institutional arrangement
• Five bodies are established by the UNFCCC and
  these are
• The main body of the UNFCCC is the Conference of
  Parties (COP) which meets every year and it is a
  supreme body of the UNFCCC. The COP is comprised
  of all Parties that have ratified the Convention
  
• The COP is supported by the Secretariat,
  Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technical
  Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for
  Implementation (SBI)
• SBSTA provides scientific, technical and
  methodological advice to the COP and the SBI
  assist with the assessment and review of the
  implementation of the Convention
• The two bodies (SBSTA and SBI) also work on
  compliance, mechanisms and capacity building.

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• Institutional arrangement continues
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
  (IPCC) as formed by the World Meteorological
  Organization (WMO) and the United Nations
  Environmental Programme (UNEP) prepares
  assessment reports as well as technical papers
  and special reports at the request of SBSTA
• Another important body is the Global
  Environmental Facility (GEF) which is responsible
  for financial mechanisms. This body is
  accountable to the COP and was established by the
  UNFCCC.

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1.3 Kyoto protocol targets This protocol was
established in COP 3 in terms of article 4 of the
Convention in 1997 in Japan. It was established
after realizing the inadequacy of the commitment
of the Annex 1 countries The legal binding
targets were established in Art 3 of the protocol
in the form of quantified emission limitations
and reduction commitments (QELRCs) Annex 1
countries have an obligation to ensure that
overall emissions are reduced by at least 5
below 1990 levels during the period 2008
2012
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1.4 Negotiating groups within the G77
China Most non-Annex I countries belong to the
Group of 77 (G-77) which is the main body for
organizing the position of developing countries
and with whom China often associates itself.
Within this group, there are four sub-groups,
namely Africa Group which consists of 53
African countries, which is mainly concerned with
the impacts of climate change Group of Latin
America and the Caribbean which has 33 members
and is primarily concerned with economic
development opportunities Alliance of Small
Island States (AOSIS) which consists of 42
members which are the especially vulnerable to
the impacts of climate change and
Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) the members of which have a mutual concern
regarding the impact on the oil export revenue as
a result of reduced use of fossil
fuel.
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• 1.5 The main achievements in the negotiated Bali
  Action Plan
• Decision - / CP.13
• Resolving to urgently enhance implementation of
  the United Nations Convention on Climate Change
• Reaffirming that economic and social development
  and poverty eradication are global priorities
• Responding to the findings of the IPCC 4th
  Assessment Report that warming of the climate is
  unequivocal
• The COP further resolved to
• Deciding to launch a comprehensive process to
  enable the full, effective and sustained
  implementation of the Convention through
  long-term cooperative action now, up to and
  beyond 2012 in order to reach an agreed outcome
  and adopt a decision at its 15th session by
  addressing, inter alia

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• The COP resolved to adopt a decision at its 15th
  session by addressing
• A shared vision for long-term cooperative action
  including a long term global goal of emission
  reduction in accordance with the principle of
  common but differential responsibilities
• Enhanced national/international action on
  mitigation of climate change and
• Enhanced action on adaptation through
  international cooperation , risk management and
  reduction strategies, economic diversification as
  well as disaster reduction strategies.
• Enhanced action on technology development and
  transfer to support action on mitigation and
  adaptation.
• 2. The last main resolution was that Parties will
  decide that the process shall be conducted under
  a Subsidiary Body under the Convention
  established as the Ad Hoc Working Group (AWG) on
  long-term co-operative action that shall complete
  its work in 2009 and will present their work in
  COP 15 for adoption.

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• 1.6 CONCLUSIONS relevance to renewables
• All of this negotiations are advocating for a
  strong push towards an uptake of renewable
  energy.
• The adoption of the Bali Action plan, means that
  the bigger developing countries are under
  pressure to start looking at mitigation actions
  renewable energy cannot be excluded thereof.
• No body knows what the Copenhagen Deal is going
  to bring, especially for major developing
  countries. To be on the safe side, we need to
  start now focus on our renewables as well.
• More importantly proper investment now on
  renewables is a good start towards our mitigation
  actions.
• Renewables are a win-win and no regrets
  approach in the climate change debate.

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I THANK
YOU Phillip Tshikalange Phillip.Tsikalanke_at_dme
.gov.za Tel [phone]